A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly pushing a commuter toward an oncoming train at Seattle's Northgate Station on March 19. Elisio Melendez, 26, was arrested following the incident, which was captured on surveillance footage. The victim, Peter Michael Walbrun, managed to avoid falling onto the tracks after being shoved from behind while looking at his phone.
Melendez has been charged with attempted murder in the second degree, according to court documents. Authorities identified him using surveillance footage from a nearby Hampton Inn and later located him at a behavioral health facility near the train station. During questioning, Melendez allegedly claimed the man in the footage was someone who 'maybe looked like him' or 'my twin that I don't have.'
The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. as Walbrun waited on the platform. Footage shows Melendez lurking behind an elevator before lunging at Walbrun as the train approached. After a brief altercation, Melendez fled the scene. This is not Melendez's first encounter with the legal system; he was previously committed to a psychiatric facility in 2021 after being found incompetent to stand trial for stabbing his sister. He was released in 2022.
Prosecutors claim Melendez timed the attack to inflict maximum harm. As of March 27, he remained in custody. A mental health evaluation has been ordered for Melendez, who is set to undergo further psychiatric assessment.